


A Romance Among Us

by kuhlaine



Category: Glee
Genre: Among Us AU, Background Brittana - Freeform, Background Finchel, Enemies to Lovers, M/M, Social Media AU, nurse carole
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-25
Updated: 2020-09-25
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:01:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,009
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26651110
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kuhlaine/pseuds/kuhlaine
Summary: Kurt and Blaine meet while playing Among Us. Their unexpected rivalry soon blossoms into an equally unexpected romance.
Relationships: Blaine Anderson/Kurt Hummel
Comments: 48
Kudos: 152





	A Romance Among Us

**Author's Note:**

> this game has consumed my life for the past week so I thought hey fuck it klaine among us au ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
> 
> and if you don't know what among us is you can check [this](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Among_Us) out!
> 
> this one is dedicated to alex and kaycee <3
> 
> anyway hit me up if you wanna play among us im really good at being imposter

Kurt doesn’t mean to fall down the Among Us rabbit hole. He’s seen the way Finn’s become glued to his screen, only looking away long enough to scarf down a slice of pizza in two bites, jaw unhinging like a snake to get as much out of every bite as possible. It’s gross. It’s absurd.

It’s also completely understandable. Kurt only downloads the game because Finn begs, promising to pay him $5 if he joins his game with Sam and Mike so they’ll have enough players to start. Kurt spends most of his first game trying to figure out how quickly to “swipe his ID card” in “Admin” – whatever that means – when Sam comes along and stabs him in the back.

By the end of the week, Kurt’s an expert. He’s able to expertly navigate the vent system without arousing suspicion, stick to groups to prove his innocence, and is now an expertly swift killer. It’s a plus that Finn can’t lie his way out of a paper bag, getting himself ejected in the first or second round for every game.

The New Directions group chat quickly becomes overrun with room codes and screenshots of past games. They spend nearly every night playing together for hours. No one would’ve guessed that an iPhone app would be the one thing they needed to get them to put their differences aside and work together, but it does the trick. Though playing together isn’t without its challenges. Santana refuses to kill Brittany whenever she’s the imposter. Accusing Rachel right off the bat has become a running joke that she does _not_ approve of. Sam has accidentally killed in front of everyone in the Cafeteria numerous times, claiming that he meant to hit Sabotage instead. It’s the most fun Kurt’s ever had with any of them.

After a week of playing together, they decide to expand their horizons. Kurt, Santana, Brittany, Rachel, Sam, Finn, and Mercedes are idling together in their lobby when Sam suggests they set their private room to public to switch things up a bit. Kurt is hesitant, but Finn assures him that it’ll be fun from his place on the armchair opposite him. Within seconds of switching their room to public a slew of new players join. They quickly ban a player whose username is “Trump69” – none of them wanting to deal with any immature trolls. The remaining players leave the lobby one by one when Santana announces in the chat that any pendejos that go anywhere near Brittany will feel her wrath, leaving just one unknown player: _warbler._

The game starts off smoothly, Kurt finishes off his tasks in Electrical and is on his way to Navigation when he spots Finn’s dead body in the hallway and the dark blue new player, warbler, walking away from the scene of the crime. Kurt’s fingers fly across his keyboard the second he reports the body, typing as quickly as he can.

> _porcelain: it was warbler_
> 
> _warbler: what? no it wasn’t_
> 
> _porcelain: I saw you walking away from the body_
> 
> _warbler: I swear it wasn’t me_
> 
> _rberrystar: where is admin?_
> 
> _capn samerica: warbler sus?_
> 
> _mercedes: warbler sus_
> 
> _snix: vote out warbler_
> 
> **_snix has voted_ **
> 
> **_mercedes has voted_ **
> 
> **_capn samerica has voted_ **
> 
> _warbler: wait_
> 
> **_rberrystar has voted_ **
> 
> **_bicorn has voted_ **
> 
> _porcelain: buh bye imposter_
> 
> **_porcelain has voted_ **
> 
> _warbler: ugh_
> 
> **_warbler has voted_ **
> 
> **_warbler was not the Imposter._ **

“Shit,” Kurt mutters to himself as he reads the screen – he’d been positive that warbler was the Imposter. Finn looks up from his phone with a raised brow. “I swear I saw him!”

“Sure you did,” Finn says with a smirk, turning back to his phone.

As expected, Santana calls an emergency meeting the minute the cooldown is over.

> _snix: it’s kurt_
> 
> _snix: he framed the new guy_
> 
> _porcelain: I swear it was an honest mistake_
> 
> _bicorn: kurt we trusted you :(_
> 
> _porcelain: it’s not me!_
> 
> _mercedes: sorry boo you’re sus_
> 
> _porcelain: ugh fine_
> 
> **_snix has voted_ **
> 
> **_bicorn has voted_ **
> 
> **_mercedes has voted_ **
> 
> **_capn samerica has voted_ **
> 
> **_rberrystar has voted_ **
> 
> _porcelain: I won’t forget this_
> 
> **_porcelain has voted_ **
> 
> **_porcelain was not the Imposter_ **

“Huh,” Finn says, scratching his head. “I really thought it was you.”

“I _said_ it wasn’t me,” Kurt spits back, pouting as he navigates his ghostly form to Reactor to finish his last task. “And besides, you should’ve seen who killed you.”

“You always say it isn’t you, that’s the point of the game,” Finn retorts, ignoring the fact that he completely missed who had actually murdered him.

Kurt just rolls his eyes and turns back to the game. He’s finishing off his last task when a new message pops up in the chat box.

> _warbler: that’s what you get_

Kurt scoffs, glaring at Finn when he doesn’t even bother to hide his amused laughter.

> _porcelain: that’s what YOU get for hanging around a dead body_
> 
> _warbler: I was on my way to electrical!_
> 
> _porcelain: suuuuure you were_
> 
> _warbler: I literally was, im not the imposter_
> 
> _porcelain: a likely story_
> 
> _warbler: what’re you even talking about_
> 
> _porcelain: im just saying I had every right to accuse you_

Kurt smirks smugly when warbler doesn’t reply and returns to finishing his tasks, assuming he’s won the argument. The game ends just a moment later when the remaining players fail to prevent a Reactor meltdown, revealing Brittany as the imposter.

The chat explodes into a flurry of shock and awe as they rejoin the lobby, Santana praising Brittany’s skills while Mercedes and Rachel fume, claiming they knew Brittany had been suspicious. They start up a new game. Kurt pouts slightly, he’s just a Crewmate again. He’s been itching to play as Imposter all day, but he’s yet to get his chance. They’re hardly a minute into the game when warbler calls an emergency meeting. Kurt’s brow furrows – no one has even died yet, what could he possibly want to meet about?

> _frankenteen: what_
> 
> _capn samerica: ???_
> 
> _warbler: it’s porcelain_
> 
> _porcelain: what_
> 
> _warbler: I saw him vent_
> 
> _porcelain: WHAT?!_
> 
> _rberrystar: really?_
> 
> _warbler: yeah 100%_
> 
> _porcelain: that’s not true, I’m nowhere near warbler_
> 
> _snix: vote kurt out I don’t want to do that stupid reactor task_
> 
> **_snix has voted_ **
> 
> **_bicorn has voted_ **
> 
> **_rberrystar has voted_ **
> 
> _porcelain: guys wait warbler’s lying_
> 
> **_frankenteen has voted_ **
> 
> **_capn samerica has voted_ **
> 
> **_mercedes has voted_ **
> 
> _porcelain: ugh I hate you all_
> 
> **_porcelain has voted_ **
> 
> _warbler: doesn’t feel so good now does it?_
> 
> **_warbler has voted_ **
> 
> **_porcelain was not the Imposter_ **

Kurt nearly throws his phone across the room in frustration. Who the hell does warbler think he is? Finn lets out a howl of laughter, slapping his knee and wiping at the corner of his eyes.

“C’mon, you have to admit, that was pretty funny.”

“It was not!” Kurt protests. “It was petty, and stupid.”

“Relax, Kurt,” Finn teases. “You can get back at him once you’re Imposter.”

Kurt sulks for the remaining rounds of the game, going about his remaining tasks with a frown fixed firm on his face. He sneers at Finn when he gets killed off in the following round, telling him to ‘relax’ when he starts to throw a fit. Fittingly enough, warbler is voted off after he’s accused of self-reporting Finn’s body, though Finn clarifies to Kurt that the actual Imposter is Rachel.

“Nothing is sacred in this game,” he laments. “Your own girlfriend can kill you and no one even cares.”

Kurt ignores Finn’s sorrows about his untimely death at the hands of his girlfriend in favor of opening the chat box up the moment warbler is voted off.

> _porcelain: well look who it is_
> 
> _warbler: funny seeing you here_
> 
> _porcelain: yeah funny seeing the person who had me killed here_
> 
> _warbler: just giving you a taste of your own medicine_
> 
> _porcelain: I wasn’t even sus_
> 
> _warbler: oh you were totally sus – wandering around doing tasks and whatnot_
> 
> _porcelain: I hate you_

Kurt sends it without thinking. This is a stranger, it shouldn’t matter, but this game does something to him that morphs into him a vengeful, power hungry monster.

> _warbler: I hate you too :)_
> 
> _porcelain: don’t get cute with me_
> 
> _warbler: d’aw you think im cute?_
> 
> _frankenteen: uh should I leave you two alone?_
> 
> _porcelain: NO_
> 
> _porcelain: I think you’re infuriating_
> 
> _warbler: the feeling is mutual_
> 
> _frankenteen: anyway im gonna go do my tasks_

Their bickering is interrupted briefly by Brittany calling an emergency meeting to ask Santana to come with her to Storage because she’s scared of Sam. Sam narrowly avoids being voted off, and the game continues on. Kurt quickly finishes off the last of his tasks, deciding to idle in the Cafeteria while he waits for the next major game update. Warbler’s dark blue ghost floats over to him, idling beside him in the cafeteria.

> _porcelain: don’t stand near me_
> 
> _warbler: why?_
> 
> _porcelain: I don’t like you_
> 
> _warbler: I can stand wherever I want_
> 
> _warbler: and I wanna stand here_
> 
> _porcelain: why are you so obsessed with me?_
> 
> _warbler: you’re the one who called me cute_
> 
> _porcelain: NOT THAT KIND OF CUTE_
> 
> _frankenteen: please do your tasks_
> 
> _warbler: a likely story_
> 
> _porcelain: I did my tasks_
> 
> _porcelain: shut UP my god_
> 
> _frankenteen: his twitter is @kurtelizabeth if you two wanna take this beef elsewhere_

Kurt gasps, turning to Finn in horrified shock. “What the hell, Finn?!”

He shrugs casually, reaching for a handful of cheese puffs. “I’m tired of watching you two argue.”

“You can’t just give out my _personal_ Twitter to random strangers!” he protests, putting his phone aside to reach for his laptop.

“What’re you doing?” Finn asks as he watches Kurt click away at top speed.

“Making my Twitter private,” he mutters, setting his account to private just seconds after a new notification appears.

> _@banderson is now following you!_

“Dammit,” he mutters.

He scrolls through warbler – Blaine’s – profile for a second or two. He seems harmless enough, a sixteen-year-old guy from Ohio, interestingly enough. His latest tweet was asking if anyone has a Moulin Rouge bootleg, so he decides he’s not a crazed internet stalker, so he doesn’t block him. Yet.

Kurt sets his laptop aside and turns back to the game, which has now wrapped up with Santana swiftly accusing Rachel and winning them the game. Once back in the lobby, Santana messages the chat that she needs to run to the bathroom and asks for them to wait for her to get back. They idle, running in circles around one another when a new message appears.

> _warbler: kurt_
> 
> _porcelain: what_
> 
> _warbler: I like your hat_
> 
> _warbler: very newsies chic_

Kurt scoffs. His newsboy cap _is_ the best of the hat options the game has to offer, in his opinion. It compliments his usual red skin tone well. And it’s certainly better than Blaine’s gaudy top hat.

> _porcelain: thanks_
> 
> _porcelain: I still hate you though_
> 
> _warbler: :(_
> 
> _rberrystar: am I missing something?_
> 
> _bicorn: stop the violence_

Santana returns before they can continue their banter, starting the game back up again. Mercedes leaves the game seconds into the first round. Kurt ignores the text from her that comes in moments later, asking “ _is something going down between you and Warbler???? Because I’m sensing something_ ” – he can reassure her that nothing is going on once he finishes off the round. He seriously needs to find himself new friends. Friends who don’t think he’s so achingly single that he’s striking up a romance with a stranger from an iPhone app.

Finn discovers Sam’s body moments later and quickly vouches for Rachel, who’d been following him around in Electrical.

> _snix: it’s sam_
> 
> _porcelain: sam is dead_
> 
> _snix: oh_
> 
> _snix: it’s kurt then_
> 
> _porcelain: what???_
> 
> **_snix has voted_ **
> 
> **_bicorn has voted_ **
> 
> **_rberrystar has voted_ **
> 
> **_frankenteen has voted_ **
> 
> _porcelain: oh come on_
> 
> _warbler: before you die kurt I just want to say I think youre really cute_
> 
> **_warbler has voted_ **
> 
> _porcelain: uh?_
> 
> _snix: keep it in your pants nancy meyers_
> 
> _frankenteen: kurt vote_
> 
> **_porcelain has voted_ **
> 
> **_porcelain was not the Imposter._ **

Kurt remains stagnant throughout the rest of the game, not even getting any joy out of everyone collectively realizing Santana must be the Imposter. He’s not sure how to interpret warbler – Blaine’s – statement. Had he misjudged him? Is he really an internet troll who preys on short tempered boys with good taste in hats? He backs out of the next game, closing the app to turn his attention back to his laptop. He goes back to Blaine’s Twitter, scrolling through until he finds a link to his Instagram. He spends more time on Blaine’s Instagram than he cares to admit. He’s just being thorough, he tells himself – confirming that Blaine is indeed a real person and not someone trying to lure him into a false sense of security.

Kurt learns a lot from Blaine’s Instagram. He learns that he has a brother – an older man who looks like he’s been cut straight out of one of the muscle magazines April Rhodes gave him last year. He’s a sophomore at Dalton, which means he’s even closer than Kurt had originally thought, which makes the world feel eerily small. He’s the lead soloist for Dalton’s acapella group, the Warblers, which explains the username. And most jarring of all: Blaine is cute. Like, really cute. Cary Grant cute. Scary cute. Daydream worthy cute.

It’s terrifying.

Kurt doesn’t know what to do with this newfound information. Does Blaine actually think he’s cute, based on his miniscule Twitter icon? It _is_ a nice picture of him, thank you very much – but even then, he’s never known another boy to be so bold. At least not any boys from Ohio, or, rather, any boys that aren’t fictional. He’s already starting to overthink something that might mean nothing when he gets a new direct message on Twitter.

It’s from Blaine.

> _@banderson: Hi, I just wanted to say I’m sorry if I freaked you out. I didn’t mean to come on too strong I just wasn’t sure if I’d never see you again because, y’know, that’s life. And yeah… I’m sorry. You can block me if you want_

Kurt swallows hard, his fingers trembling as he starts typing back a reply. He starts and stops dozens of times, struggling to craft the perfect response that’s both witty, and aloof. Everything he comes up with sounds too contrived, so he goes with honesty.

> _@kurtelizabeth: It’s okay, I was just caught off guard. I’m not used to cute guys thinking I’m the cute one._
> 
> _@kurtelizabeth: or any guys at all, but that’s beside the point_
> 
> _@banderson: maybe it’s because you keep accusing them of being the imposter when they’re not_

Kurt snorts. Blaine, it seems, is as funny as he is infuriatingly cute. And also just plain infuriating.

> _@kurtelizabeth: you’re on thin ice, warbler_
> 
> _@banderson: do your worst, porcelain_

* * *

Kurt half expects Blaine to fade away within a week. If there’s one thing he’s learned from watching his friends stumble through heartbreak after heartbreak it’s that romance is never easy – it’s confusion and anger and disappointment until it all comes crashing down. He waits for Blaine to unfollow him, or block him, or tell him he doesn’t think he’s cute anymore.

But he doesn’t do any of those things. Instead, it starts off simple. Kurt invites him to play a couple more rounds with the New Directions the following day, deciding to take a leap and make the first move after Blaine put himself out there first. In turn, Blaine invites him to play a couple of rounds with a few of his friends from the Warblers. Kurt’s few rounds with the Warblers aren’t exactly smooth sailing – he clashes almost instantly with one of Blaine’s friends, Sebastian, and not in the meet-cute way he clashed with Blaine.

> _betterthanu: it’s porcelain_
> 
> _porcelain: what? you weren’t anywhere near me_
> 
> _betterthanu: I can just tell_
> 
> _wes: all in favor of voting porcelain?_
> 
> _warbler: wait guys, let’s hear him out_
> 
> _betterthanu: it’s him_
> 
> **_thadeus has voted_ **
> 
> **_betterthanu has voted_ **
> 
> _trentcoat: do you have proof?_
> 
> _betterthanu: no_
> 
> _betterthanu: I just don’t like him_

It takes all of Kurt’s patience and resilience not to rip Sebastian to shreds. He’s still trying to impress Blaine, and getting foul mouthed with his friend is a one-way ticket to ending whatever it is they’re building, but it doesn’t stop from him getting a few barbs in here and there.

> _porcelain: I saw craigslist vent on cams_
> 
> _wes: who’s craigslist?_
> 
> _porcelain: betterthanu_
> 
> _betterthanu: why did you call me craigslist?_
> 
> _porcelain: bc you give me craigslist vibes_

After three days of keeping their messages strictly to invitations to play, they broach new topics. Once they start, they can’t stop. They talk about school and their favorite musicals, and fashion, and coffee, and French cuisine recipes, and New York City in flurries of messages sent with trembling fingers and loaded hearts. They even talk about sports and it doesn’t drive Kurt mad with boredom. Blaine might just be the most interesting person he’s ever met. The fact that he’s adorable, charming, and immensely talented (if the videos he sends Kurt of the Warblers’ past performances are any indication) too is just unfair.

The problem with his budding relationship with Blaine is that Kurt’s at a complete loss as to what to do next, even after they’ve shifted from Twitter DMs to text messages and the occasional Facetime call – which confirms that Blaine is just in cute in person (or, well, on screen) as he is in pictures. In just two weeks they’ve talked about what seems like everything under the sun, and while there’s a flirtatious subtext to some of their messages, they haven’t broached the subject of romance. Or their mutual attraction for one another. Or even the possibility of meeting up in person. Kurt values his after school free time, but he’ll gladly drive two hours to Westerville in the pouring rain, sleet, or snow, if it means he gets to see Blaine in person. But he doesn’t want to seem clingy or desperate – so, he doesn’t bring it up.

As if by serendipity, the shift happens in an Among Us chat room.

Kurt invites Blaine to play with the rest of the New Directions so they can get their room to ten players. No one bats an eye when Blaine joins the lobby – he’s become a regular at this point. They play one round without incident, quickly figuring out that Tina was the imposter. Kurt’s the imposter the second time around. He smirks as he navigates his way down to Electrical, quickly killing off Rachel while everyone rushes to O2 and Admin before the oxygen runs out.

He finds himself in a dilemma when Blaine begins to follow him. It’s not unusual for Blaine to tag along with him once he finishes his tasks – they always vouch for one another whenever possible. They’re alone together in Navigation when Kurt realizes he has the perfect opportunity to kill Blaine. He bites his lip, weighing the pros and cons of killing Blaine off at this point in the game. The thought of not having Blaine’s signature blue top-hat wearing character following him around is strangely disappointing. He realizes he doesn’t have it in him to kill Blaine, so he does something that others might call insane.

He goes up to vent in the upper left corner, and jumps in. Blaine’s character remains stock still even after Kurt pops up and out of the vent. Kurt swallows hard, waiting for Blaine to make a mad dash for the Emergency Meeting button to report what he saw. But he doesn’t – he just continues to stand still. Kurt wonders if he’s away from his phone and didn’t even see Kurt’s compromising stunt when Brittany walks into the room. He kills her swiftly, her body sawed in half and falling to the floor halfway between them. Once again, he waits for the shoe to drop, for Blaine to report the body and throw him under the bus. Kurt walks out of the room, preparing for Blaine to sound the alarm as he reports the body whenever he’s back at his phone. But Blaine follows him, traveling with him all the way across the map to Upper Engine until Finn reports the body.

> _snix: wtf_
> 
> _snix: whoever did this is gonna pay_

Kurt’s prepared to post his alibi when Blaine beats him to the punch.

> _warbler: it’s not kurt I was with him in upper engine_

It feels stupid that his heart soars as he reads the message over and over. It’s something so simple, and a little bit silly. But somehow, he falls for Blaine even more than he already has.

> _frankenteen: it was in nav and I saw quinn walk by o2_
> 
> _lucycaboosey: it was probably finn_
> 
> _capn samerica: finn sus_
> 
> _vamptina: finn sus_
> 
> _frankenteen: im not sus_
> 
> _snix: im gonna kick your ass tomorrow lumps_
> 
> **_snix has voted_ **
> 
> **_mercedes has voted_ **
> 
> **_rberrystar has voted_ **
> 
> **_capn samerica has voted_ **
> 
> **_vamptina has voted_ **
> 
> **_lucycaboosey has voted_ **
> 
> _frankenteen: kurt bro help_
> 
> **_porcelain has voted_ **
> 
> **_warbler has voted_ **
> 
> _frankenteen: smh_
> 
> **_frankenteen has voted_ **
> 
> **_frankenteen was not the Imposter_ **

It all comes down to Kurt, Santana, and Blaine. Santana flies into a rage when Kurt wanders right up to Tina and kills her in front of everyone.

> _snix: wtf kurt_
> 
> _warbler: it’s not kurt_
> 
> _snix: what?_
> 
> **_porcelain has voted_ **
> 
> **_warbler has voted_ **
> 
> _snix: are you fucking kidding me_
> 
> _porcelain: santana vote_
> 
> _snix: this is bullshit_
> 
> **_snix has voted_ **
> 
> **_snix was not the Imposter_ **

The chat box explodes the second everyone returns to the lobby.

> _snix: I hate it here_
> 
> _vamptina: wtf blaine?_
> 
> _mercedes: blaine what the hell kurt murdered tina right in front of you_
> 
> _warbler: if I turned kurt in he would prob say no to me asking him to be my boyfriend_
> 
> _rberrystar: BOYFRIEND?!!!_

Kurt has to set his phone down as he lets out an embarrassingly childish squeal of excitement. Finn comes into the living room moments later, phone in hand.

“Did Blaine just ask you out?”

“He did,” Kurt replies, biting back his grin as he reads the message for a third, fourth, and fifth time.

“This is so weird,” Finn mutters as he throws himself onto the couch beside Kurt, looking over Kurt’s shoulder he types out his response and giving him a thumbs up in approval.

> _porcelain: I would be honored to have a boyfriend as loyal as you, blaine anderson_
> 
> _capn samerica: more like blaine andersimp_
> 
> _mercedes: KURT TEXT ME RN!!!!_
> 
> _bicorn: I love love!!!!_
> 
> _snix: this is gross_

Carole closes the front door behind her with a huff, kicking her shoes off and rubbing at the soles of her feet as she decompresses from yet another double shift at the hospital.

“You boys look like you’re having fun,” she muses as she comes into the living room, sinking into her usual armchair and kicking up her feet on the coffee table.

“Kurt has a boyfriend,” Finn blurts out before Kurt can find a way to delicately bring up the subject.

Carole’s eyes go wide as she sits up slightly, looking over at Kurt with concern. “Sweetie, that’s great,” she says quickly. “I… had no idea you were seeing someone,” she chokes out, trying to strike a balance of excited yet still parentally concerned.

“It’s a long story,” is all Kurt can come up with – and it is. There’s not enough time in a day to explain to Carole and his dad what Among Us is and why it’s consumed both he and Finn’s lives and that Blaine isn’t some creep he met on the Internet, he’s a real person. Besides, he wants to revel in the moment for just a little bit longer. He has a boyfriend. _Blaine_ is his boyfriend. Sweet, kind, charming, handsome, lovely, talented Blaine is his boyfriend.

That evening marks Kurt’s last ever game of Among Us. He doesn’t feel the need to play anymore – he found that something he didn’t even realize he was looking for. Besides, he can spend all of his after school free time with his boyfriend instead.

**Author's Note:**

> thanks so much for reading!


End file.
